Installing Windows 7

Booting directly to the OS DVD is the correct way, but it sounds like you have some corrupt media.  

What is the EXACT message you get with either media?

I suggest downloading a Windows 7 install ISO from Digital River and burning it to DVD. Use the product key on your COA to activate.

The problem was with the BIOS setting for drives i changed it from AHCI to SATA and it installed correctly.

thanks all for your suggestions.

I tried it with dell drivers but it would take them.

It costs a little, but using a third-party SATA card to boot from and then installing the missing drivers from Intel's download site is a lot less complicated than figuring out how to provide them on removable media.

It's not a "problem" ... you needed drivers.

Which drivers did you try?  What was the EXACT message you were getting, and at what point during Setup?  (If you are still interesting in why/how.)

"It costs a little, but using a third-party SATA card to boot from and then installing the missing drivers from Intel's download site is a lot less complicated than figuring out how to provide them on removable media. "

I'm not sure I understand this ... providing drivers for Windows 7 is easy.

i was getting a message that said that the cd/dvd driver was needed.

i downloaded from dell the pre os ahci driver.

I'm not sure I understand this ... providing drivers for Windows 7 is easy.

You have to find them, extract them to removable media, and provide them to Windows. It's not so easy if you're not experienced.

The third-party SATA card allows the drivers to be installed from Intel's online chipset software installation utility.

Finding them is hardly rocket science, but is probably the most "difficult" part of this process.  "extract them to removable media" equates to little more than running the EXE that you download and either specifying a flash drive as the target to extract to or extract to the hard drive then simply drag/drop the files to USB.  "provide them to Windows" is a matter simply of clicking the Load Drivers link and browsing to the location on the flash drive.  I can't possibly see how that is more difficult than buying and installing a third-party controller for the "inexperienced" user.

"i downloaded from dell the pre os ahci driver"

This one for 64-bit?

ftp.dell.com/.../INTEL_MATRIX-STORAGE-MANAGER_A06_R263365.exe

or this one for 32-bit (which one did you install)?

ftp.dell.com/.../R243678.exe

What did you do with the file from the time you downloaded it until the time you "loaded" it in the OS?

Another alternative would be to install from USB:

www.maximumpc.com/.../how_install_windows_7_usb_key

i had seen the maximumpc.com article on doing the install from usb. i will give that a try this week. thanks.

i downloaded the 32 bit version. the version of windows 7 i have is 32 bits.

of course i did all that!

i downloaded the 32 bit version. the version of windows 7 i have is 32 bits.

Your product key will work with the 64-bit version, too.